Justice News

Georgia Man Sentenced to Prison for Failing to Update Sex Offender Registration in New Mexico

ALBUQUERQUE – Dustin Blake Otwell, 30, of Gainesville, Ga., was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Santa Fe, N.M., to 299 days in prison followed by five years of supervised release for violating the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). Otwell will be required to register as a sex offender after completing his prison sentence.

SORNA, also known as the Adam Walsh Protection and Safety Act, requires that a convicted sex offender register in each jurisdiction where the offender resides, where the offender is employed, or where the offender is a student, and that the sex offender maintain current registrations.

Otwell was charged by indictment on Feb. 7, 2017, with violating SORNA by failing to update his sex offender registration from Aug. 17, 2016 through Jan. 17, 2017, in Colfax County, N.M. On June 22, 2017, Otwell pled guilty to the indictment without the benefit of a plea agreement.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Raquel Ruiz-Velez.